Page 95 of The Keeper

Duke quickly shook his head before dropping onto the empty chair beside the bed, the skin around his eyes bunching. “She made itthrough surgery. The cut severed her jugular but missed her carotid by, like, a millimeter or something.”

He mashed his lips together and stared down at his lap, trying to compose himself before continuing. “The surgeon said that had Carnage not known to pinch off the vein and put pressure on her collarbone, she wouldn’t have made it.”

“Have you seen her yet?” I asked as Dane reached over to squeeze Duke’s shoulder.

“No,” he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She was still in recovery. They did say she lost a lot of blood, so we won’t know if she has any neurological damage until she’s conscious.”

She was alive but not out of the woods yet. Relief battled with renewed fear at the thought of Derek stealing any part of Ivy’s brilliant mind. It was unfathomable to imagine a world where my friend woke up with no memory of the people who loved her.

Tears pricked my eyes and blurred my vision. “Does GQ know?”

He ran a hand through his disheveled hair before exhaling a soft, humorless laugh. “Oh, yeah. He’s outside chain-smoking and wearing a path in the parking lot concrete. I think he’ll relax once we can see her.” A muscle in his jaw ticked, and his eyes went distant. “That isifwe get to see her. As you can imagine, her parents aren’t exactly thrilled about us wanting to check on their daughter.”

I grimaced, imagining how well that was going over. Brian and Cheryl were notoriously conservative and had never approved of her more free-spirited lifestyle. Finding out she was involved with not one but two tattooed bikers was likely sending them into conniptions.

“I’ll talk to them,” I said, trying to get up only to sag back against the pillows with a groan. “Just give me a minute. I can smooth things over and put in a good word for you guys.”

Dane’s eyes narrowed. “The hell you will. You’re gonna sit your happy ass right here and wait to be discharged.”

I rolled my eyes at his overprotective tone but didn’t argue. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure I could make it more than a few steps without collapsing.

I rolled my eyes at his overprotectiveness but didn’t argue. My body felt like one giant bruise, and the thought of getting up made me want to curl into a ball and sleep for a week.

“Fine,” I conceded with a sigh. “But I’m texting her mom as soon as I get my phone back. Cheryl may not approve of Ivy’s life choices, but she knows how close we are. She’ll listen to me.”

Duke nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude. “Thanks, darlin’. I appreciate that. I’m gonna check on GQ and get back up there.”

He stood and headed for the door, pausing to look back at us. “I’ll let you know if there are any updates.”

As soon as Duke was out of earshot, Dane turned to me with a quizzical expression. “All right, you wanna tell me what the hell’s going on with those three?”

I bit my lip, debating how much to share. “Honestly? I’m not entirely sure. Ivy was pretty vague on the details. All I know is they hooked up at some point after the Motorcycles, Mobsters, and Mayhem event.”

Dane ran his tongue over his teeth with a low chuckle. “Hooked up? Baby, a hookup doesn’t look like that. You don’t camp out in a hospital for a hookup. You don’t fall apart over a hookup.”

When he put it that way, I had to admit, it felt like there were some real feelings involved.

“Do you spend two years searching the country for a hookup?” I teased, earning another grin from him.

“You do not,” he said, his hand coming to rest on my thigh. “How are you doing? I know the stuff with Ivy is heavy.”

I mashed my lips together with a small nod, tears immediately welling in my eyes again. “I feel guilty for being happy about this baby when everything else is such a mess.”

Dane’s expression softened as he cupped my face in his hands. “Hey, listen to me. You have nothing to feel guilty about. This baby is a blessing, and being happy about it doesn’t take away from how much you care about Ivy or anyone else.”

“You’re right. It’s just...everything feels so out of control right now. We’re supposed to be moving tomorrow, and instead, I’m in a hospital bed while my best friend is fighting for her life down the hall.”

He gathered me carefully into his arms, mindful of my injuries. “And we’ll get through it, just like we’ve gotten through everything else,” he promised, brushing the tears from my lashes. “One minute at a time. Isn’t that what Ivy’s always telling you?”

“Yeah,” I whispered, letting myself relax against his chest. “I just wish she was here to celebrate with us. We’ve shared every major milestone in our lives. It feels wrong not having her here for this one.”

“I know it’s hard right now,” Dane murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “But she’s gonna pull through this, and before you know it, she’ll be planning some over-the-top baby shower that’ll make you want to throttle her.”

“Knowing her, she’ll insist on a biker-themed shower, and I’ll have to make cookies that say ‘Future Prospect’ or something equally ridiculous,” I said with a smile.

Dane chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”

We slipped into a comfortable silence, his hand resting protectively over my stomach. The steady beep of the heart monitor and the occasional squeak of shoes in the hallway were the only sounds.

---